RECREATION

Ankeny is an active community that enjoys a multitude of recreational, cultural, entertainment, dining and family oriented amenities. Coupled with Ankeny’s close proximity to other entertainment options in the surrounding metro areas makes this community an ideal place to live and work.

Ankeny Parks and Recreation
The City of Ankeny has a full-time park and recreation department dedicated to providing quality parks, programming and recreational amenities. The City’s commitment to quality of life is notable, including:

• 25 developed parks with over 600 acres of parkland. Ankeny boasts the fastest growing park system in Iowa.
• 120 acre Prairie Ridge Sports Complex for football, baseball, softball and soccer. This complex hosted over 10,000 games during the 2005 season and featured the 2005 Iowa Baseball Field of the Year as named by the Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association.
• Family Aquatic Center and Spray Park
• 10,000 sq. ft. Skate Park
• Spending over $1.4 million in 2005 on new park construction and re-developing existing parks.
• Adding three new parks in 2005.
• Adding four miles of new trail in 2005. Every school in Ankeny is linked to this community trail system.
• Organized recreation programs for youth, adults and families throughout the year, after-school programming and family oriented special events.

Saylorville Lake
Saylorville Lake is located just west of Ankeny, offering boating, camping, fishing, hiking and biking opportunities. The lake was formed in the 1960s to provide additional storage for flood control. In addition, this lake provides water supply to the Des Moines area in times of drought. Saylorville Lake is approximately 5,950 acres and stretches 17 miles upstream from the dam. It features a 26-mile bike trail along the east side of the lake that hooks into a larger trail system, a marina, boat ramps and campgrounds.

Big Creek State Park
Nearby Big Creek State Park is connected to Saylorville Lake and is along the same bike trail. Just 8 miles northwest of Ankeny, Big Creek features a beach, playground, picnic shelters, boat ramps and a multi-purpose sports field.

Iowa Events Center
Located just minutes south of Ankeny, the Iowa Events Center is a four-venue complex for sports, entertainment, conventions and expos. The venues include the Wells Fargo Arena, HyVee Hall, Veterans Memorial Auditorium and the Polk County Convention Complex.

Ankeny is part of the larger metro area, providing a variety of recreational and cultural amenities. For more information on other venues and activities, visit The Greater Des Moines Partnership website.